Dragonborn
by OctaviaWithStarsForEyes
Summary: Everly Sterling is a girl with peculiar powers that have kept her on the run for the last two years. But while on a ship leaving London, she meets Newt Scamander, and he is like no one she has ever met before. What will become of their strange friendship? Will it evolve into something more? Or will secrets uncovered tear them apart? Pre-movie, but fits into the canon timeline.
1. Introductions Are Made

**Hello! Tis I! Liked FBAWTFT, wrote a little thing. Here's a story featuring an oc no one asked for but hopefully people don't hate.**

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 _Sylph_ was the name of the ship that was leaving the port in the south of England that morning. She was a beauty, large enough to hold a thousand people, with a royal blue hull and several tall pipes that billowed with steam. The decks were chestnut and polished to a rich shine. The click of the passengers' shoes on the floor was satisfying and clean, just like the ship itself. Many of these passengers were boring, mundane folk, but for two people, our heroes.

A young woman of about eighteen, clad in boy's clothing, sat on one of the beams supporting the ceiling. A simple rucksack sat beside her, leaning against her side. A dark braid sat on her shoulder, her face hidden by the newsboy cap pulled low on her forehead. She wore a white button down under a dark red vest and somewhat puffy charcoal trousers. Her feet were in tall black riding boots.

Everything about her was a little mismatched, her expensive-looking vest clashing with the dirt smudged around her shirtcuffs and face. Likewise, her regal posture clashed with the casualness of the whole ensemble.

Her legs swung easily over the empty hallway, and she observed as a rare passenger strode obliviously to their rooms. Two young girls, an old man, a wife and her husband, and a little dog, were the only beings she had seen so far. She was just about to climb down and sidle off, when she caught sight of person of interest through the window.

A good-looking young man in the dark blue coat rushed up the gangplank to Sylph, and strode down the boat's corridor to his quarters. He was in an awful hurry, and looked about to be in his early twenties.

Her silver eyes, like liquid moonlight, followed him as he slammed the door and the lock clicked shut. Her naturally curious nature couldn't resist wondering what was waiting for him.

Perhaps he had a lady friend waiting in there? Or maybe he was being chased down by spies? She paused, as the sound of yelling seemed to come from the room. It seemed he really did have a lady friend waiting for him, after all, who else could be in there? She couldn't make out exactly what he was saying, so she slung her rucksack over her shoulder and climbed down the hidden ladder on the back of a pillar. She crept silently up to the door, pressing her ear to the crack.

"-Jackaby Manor, and you thought you could just snuffle around and rob them of the money? What on earth were you thinking?" The man scolded someone, who didn't seem to be replying. His snuffling lady friend must have debts to pay off or something.

"Don't you look at me like that, you're lucky I was there!" Still no reply from the lady friend. The dark-haired girl hesitated for a second, before looking in through the keyhole.

The young man had taken off his coat and stood in a gold vest with the sleeves rolled up. His forearms were heavily scarred, making her stomach turn, but that wasn't her focus. He appeared to be holding onto a- rodent of some sort? Marsupial? She honestly couldn't make heads or tails of what it was, but it sure wasn't a lady friend. It was something she had never seen before, and appeared to pull gold coins out of its pouch. Her eyes flicked to the gold, and her attention flared. She could definitely use some of that.

Her attention was stolen by the man as he moved. He shook his head and clucked his tongue, before opening his suitcase and dropping the rodent in. Now that could not be humane.

To her surprise the rodent didn't crawl out, and she frowned. Where had it gone? As if she wasn't surprised enough, the man then stepped _into the suitcase_ , and disappeared within its depths!

And she thought what she could do was incredible.

An inner struggle began in her mind as she debated whether or not to look inside the suitcase. On the one hand it was none of her business, but on the other hand she was wildly curious.

After all, if he caught her, what would he do? He couldn't get her thrown off the boat until they reached destination and it wasn't like she had any family to be returned to. She had nothing to lose. With that thought, she set her jaw in stern determination.

Ultimately, she used a hairpin to pick the cheap lock, and eased the door open slowly, careful not to let it creak at all. She shut the door, and locked it again, before padding cautiously towards the mysterious suitcase.

She crouched down and retrieved some of the gold coins, tucking them away in the pockets of her trousers. It wasn't stealing, after all, these had been the rodent's. And she had a feeling if the man had needed them, he'd have picked them up. This would teach him not to leave his gold lying about. Bearing that logic in mind, she let go of any guilt she was holding onto. She needed this more anyway.

Gold safely stowed, she lifted up the suitcase and checked underneath it: nothing. So where had the man gone? She had a very strong feeling about what he had done, but there was only one way to find out.

With a deep breath, she flicked the fixtures on the case open, and peered inside. There appeared to be some sort of ladder that disappeared into the shadows.

 _Last chance to back out_ , she thought.

Steeling her nerves, she rolled up the sleeves of her shirt and secured the newsboy cap snug on her head. With a deep breath, she carefully lowered her self onto the mysterious ladder and proceeded to climb down. Once she had both feet on solid ground, she surveyed her surroundings, primarily to look for a hiding place.

She was standing in some sort of cramped workshop, stocked to the ceilings with herbs, ingredients, papers, crates, jars, and assorted mess. She picked her way through the mess to the only door in sight and found herself somehow standing...outdoors?

Forgetting her cautiousness, she ran outside, and looked out at the sprawling landscape before her.

All sorts of animals the girl had never seen before roamed freely in this incredible eutopia. Sunny skies were above, and a twisted tree spiralled upwards at the bottom of the hill. And right in the middle of it all, was Mr. Gold Vest himself, stroking the nose of some sort of enormous bird with six wings.

The bird's bright amber eyes flicked to the slim girl at the door of the workshop, and let out a screeching sound. Apparently understanding the beast, the man spun around and she felt her heart stop.

Oh dear, this had been a bad idea.

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 **Tada! Leave a review?**


	2. A Secret Comes to Light

**Oh la la! An update! You're thrilled, I'm sure :)**

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Her heart dropped in her chest, and panic lurched in her stomach. Oh, this was very bad, very bad indeed.

Mr. Gold Vest strode up the hill, clearly surprised that she was here, and she backed away nervously. Her back slammed against the workshop she had come from and she scrambled for the doorknob. Her hands were slippery with sweat and she couldn't get a good grip on it.

"Bugger," she hissed, flicking a glance at the doorknob so she could see what she was looking for. Unfortunately, it was more than slippery fingers. The door was locked. She jingled the doorknob violently, fear mounting as the man got closer.

"Petrificus totalus!" The man yelled once he was in earshot. He waved a short, thin wand at her, and she felt her body freeze in place. _Shit, he was a wizard._

He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her away from the door, propping her up so he could look her in the eyes. Try as she might, all she could move was her eyes, following him as he paced back and forth in front of her.

She was mentally berating herself for allowing herself to get into this situation at all. She'd known magic was somehow involved going in and she'd done it anyway, unable to resist the temptation. This was her own bloody fault, and she knew it.

The man before her stopped, seemingly frazzled, and ran his fingers through his hair, making it stick up. His mouth moved, but he couldn't seem to make out any words. He paced a bit more before setting his shoulders and opening his mouth again.

"Who are you, and how did you get in here?" The man asked in a soft but urgent voice. He had tawny brown hair, startlingly green eyes, and a full mouth. His skin was dusted with freckles, and his cheekbones stood out as he pursed his lips. She had to admit, he was rather good-looking. Had they met in any other circumstance she might be flirting with him right now.

Still unable to move, she couldn't answer him, and could only wait for him to realise. It took him a second, but he waved his wand at her mouth, and she felt the stillness leave her face. She took a moment to stretch out her face and blink her eyes. She'd never taken movement for granted before, but she never would again. When she got out of here she'd never be upset about having to constantly be moving. If she ever got out.

Luckily, she was plenty accustomed to talking herself out of these situations.

"Good day sir, my name is Everly Sterling. And you are?" She said smoothly, trying to ignore the terrified rhythm her heart was pounding in her chest. Immediately once she realized what she'd said, she cursed herself for not using a fake name.

"I'm Newt Scamander, and how did you get in my case?" The man demanded frantically, beginning to pace again. Looks like even when he was threatening young woman, he didn't forget his manners.

She considered lying to him, but then figured lying wouldn't get her out of this situation. Sometimes it was better to try and cooperate. Anyway, it would be fairly self-explanatory. How else could she have gotten in?

"Well, I picked your lock, and climbed down the ladder." There wasn't much else to be said, really.

"Lovely," Newt groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Are you a muggle?"

"No," she replied defeatedly. She couldn't feign ignorance any longer, she was in too deep now.

"No? Are you versed in the practice of magic? Do you have any strange talents?"

"Versed in magic? No, I'm a squib," she explained. He looked surprised that she recognized his wizard terminology, but she sure as hell hadn't been raised in a muggle household. "As for strange talents..."

Her instincts sensed an opportunity and she donned an expression of innocence. Eyes widened and voice higher, she blinked once or twice.

"I absolutely do have strange talents. If you release me from whatever is holding me still, I'll show you." Oh, this man was so gullible, Ev almost felt bad.

As soon as he waved his wand, she made a break for it, yanking the door open and charging through the mess of the workroom. She reached the ladder and began scrambling up. In fact, she had almost made it before he grabbed her ankle.

 _No! I'm_ _so close!_

"So sorry about this, but I really can't have you telling anybody what you've seen here," he grunted as she flailed and kicked. He raised the wand, and suddenly she was frozen again, falling like a statue on the surprised Newt.

"Ack!" He cried, blushing and struggling to disentangle himself. Ev mentally snarled, but her face was stuck, so she just had to lie there. Her muscles strained against his magic, but she was unable to even wiggle a finger. Frustration built in her, and she narrowed her eyes angrily.

The man waved his wand, murmuring under his breath. The stillness dissipated, but ropes appeared around Ev, binding her arms to her torso, and the crazy wizard man held the wand at her throat. She froze.

"Right then. I could kill you with two words, so consider what you're going to say very carefully," Newt said, voice shaking, and Ev suddenly wasn't feeling so in control of the situation.

"Yes sir," she swallowed, the tendons in her neck standing out as she tried to pull away from the tip of his wand hovering inches above her jugular. Her heart fluttered at a million miles in her chest as she tried to breathe evenly. He was obviously unhinged, anything could set him off. Even ragged breathing.

"Were you or were you not lying about having unnatural powers?" He asked softly, and she shook her head frantically.

"I do have unnatural powers though!" She protested, eager to please him and get out of here. Anything was better than being alone with him.

"Show me."

"No way."

He sighed, and his menacing scowl disappeared to be replaced by a defeated sort of pout. She blinked, surprised by this transformation of moods.

"Oh, bother. Never was any good at the threatening. Would you...please show me?" His querying voice was uncertain and shy. Rather endearing, really.

Instantly she cursed herself for thinking it and reassured her mind that he was a psychopath and there was nothing endearing about him. Nothing about his soft voice or rough hands or floppy hair and green eyes.

 _Stop it, Ev,_ she chided sternly. _Focus, here!_

The girl underneath him considered. There wasn't much other way she was getting out of this, and a man who seemed to be illegally carrying animals around with him was probably the last person that would get her in trouble for it. Perhaps maybe she could, after all he did seem quite kind. Aside from the whole threatening her and tying her up.

At the very least, once she transformed she doubted even his wizardry could take her down. This was her best option in terms of survival. Decision made, she nodded once.

"Very well, but you can't say that I didn't give any warning. You asked for it," Ev warned, before allowing the transformation to overtake her body.

The remarkable silver colour of her eyes pulsed in waves, colouring her skin platinum, and scales rippled across her pale skin. Bones snapped and reformed in her back, to allow enormous leathery wings to sprout from her back. Just as Newt thought he couldn't be anymore surprised, another wave passed across Ev's skin, leaving most of her scales an iridescent black, with sparse silver markings along her face, neck, and underside of her wings.

The girl-turned-dragon grinned at Newt, an unnatural, frightening thing, and her sharp teeth glittered in the synthetic sunset. Her eyes seemed even brighter against her dark scales.

"What do you think? Are you going to kill me, Mr. Scamander?"

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 **Drop a review, if you fancy!**


	3. An Agreement is Reached

**I have returned bearing an update! Enjoy!**

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Ev laughed at the astonished look on Newt's face. Her voice had a rasping undertone, like she had been smoking cigars for the past twenty years. It was a little difficult for her to speak proper English with the forked tongue and the longer teeth, but she did her best. The result was some vowels slurred together, but it was certainly more impressive than the average linguistic abilities of a dragon.

"Incredible! Amazing! I've never heard of a dragon animagus before, or an animagus that could talk! Or a talking dragon!" Newt walked in a full circle, observing every inch of her dragon form. She turned, following him with her eyes as he walked around her.

If dragons could blush, she might've, under his scrutinising gaze. He took out a notebook and scribbled feverishly, as if he thought she would just disappear before he was done.

He wasn't trying to kill her. He wasn't even really shocked. Of course, he seemed surprised and interested, but the fact that she, a human, had just turned into a dragon hardly even caused him to blink.

For the first time in a long, long while, Ev felt safe around someone. Despite his threatening magic and his suitcase world, he seemed kind-hearted and intelligent. She'd never been able to be around a stranger as her dragon form before. It felt nice to be herself.

Ev had become quite fascinated with this strange young man, so instead of making another break for the ladder, she turned a circle and sat regally on the dirt floor. It wasn't like he could hurt her, she could tear out his throat if she really felt like it.

It was somewhat selfish, she supposed, wanting to be with someone who didn't mind her dragon form, but she'd had so little in life. Maybe just this one time, she could take this moment. Then she'd go back to the life she'd had before, sneaking onto ships and sleeping on the streets.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she decided to ask a few of the questions that had been lingering in her mind. If he was going to write about her, she deserved to get some answers.

"What on earth was that rodent thing you were talking to? The one with the gold in its pouch?" She asked, watching him sketch a picture of her clawed hand. She flexed it, suddenly a little self-conscious about the state of her claws. Two of them were chipped, and one was full on broken.

"Niffler. A sort of creature that hoards gold in order to attract a mate." Newt explained distractedly through the quill clenched between his teeth. "I call it Norrell."

A surprised, hissing laugh escaped Ev's lips. "What sort of name is Norrell?"

In fact it was one of the most foolish names she had ever heard. It conjured an image of a fat, stuffy gentleman with a monocle and a pipe, not a squirming rodent.

Green-gold eyes met her gaze.

"A very respectable sort of name. It was my great uncle's name." Newt sniffed, looking slightly affronted. She snorted and tossed her scaly head in amusement. It was still a foolish name.

Smiling slightly, he reached out to touch her wing. Not expecting it, she jumped away, a slight hiss.

Newt instantly retracted his hand, eyes round with guilt. His cheeks flooded with color, and he shook his head as if berating himself for the action.

"Sorry, sorry. Oh dear, I'm usually better about that. You're just so human I forgot for a second. So sorry about that, I really didn't mean to frighten you, I should have given more warning, I just-,"

"Newt," she cut him off gently. "It's okay."

With some difficulty, she relaxed and offered a hesitant, reptilian smile. Despite the off-putting nature of the smile, it was meant to be kind and reassuring. He didn't look like he felt better, so she searched for a way to make him feel better.

Ev stretched a wing out to Newt. "Just a little jumpy around strangers." She did her best to laugh it off.

He returned her smile shyly and reached out to her wing.

Large hands that were heavily calloused and scarred stroked the base her wings gently, and a little purring sound rumbled in the back of her throat. Instantly her bones felt like jelly and she tried to restrain herself from arching back into his touch.

His hands left her wings, and she came back into the moment. Dragons couldn't usually pull off a 'mortified' look, but Ev did her best.

"Good lord! That has never happened before!" She remarked embarrassedly. Dragons didn't purr! "What the devil was that?"

His face was hot with embarrassment at her discomfort, but he shrugged.

"I thought you might have that reaction. Met a dragon during some of my travels, a Macedonian Aspenwing, and it looked a little like you do. He did the same thing when I stroked his wings." Newt said, very flushed. He wasn't looking directly at her, and turned away to make a note.

Ev mentally groaned. Full dragons were a lot dopier than her kind, they followed their instincts a lot more. So Newt probably knew exactly how much she wanted to rub up against him. Great. Her thoughts were interrupted as Newt spoke once more.

"Would you shift back for me? To your human form?"

In a blink, there was once again an eighteen year old girl lying comfortably on the floor of his workroom. Newt wrote down basic features of Everly's eyes, hair, stature, and speed of transformation.

The traits she shared with her dragon self were many. Her hair was dark, just like her midnight scales, her eyes were still silver-bright, her skin was pale, and she was rather petite, just as her dragon form was only a little bigger than the size of the thunderbird, Frank. Large compared to a human, but small for a dragon.

"So, what was that enormous bird that discovered me? It was massive, for a bird!" Ev marveled, thinking of those scorching amber eyes.

"Frank. His name is Frank, and he's a thunderbird, native to America," Newt smiled fondly as the girl rolled onto her back, and looked up at the rapidly darkening sky.

"Mr. Scamander?"

"Call me Newt," he replied, brushing his floppy bangs out of his eyes.

"Newt, then?" She tried, eyes wide.

"Mm?" He closed his little leather bound book, murmuring something as he waved his wand and then tucking it into his breast pocket.

She took a deep breath to gather her courage, and then blurted it out before she lost nerve.

"Where do you plan on going from here?"

"Well this boat is going to Ireland," he responded mildly. As if she didn't already know.

She gave him a look. "You know that's not what I mean."

"Well, I was going to head to South America, Sudan, and then perhaps America," Newt responded, tilting his head as he thought. "After that, I don't know."

"Would you- Could I come along?"

Newt glanced over at the girl, who was pointedly looking away from his eyes. Sensing his hesitation, she started to plead desperately.

"I wouldn't be any trouble. I could help you catch things, and I could carry the suitcase, and I could get the aerial view, and-"

"Of course."

"Please Newt, I- Wait what?" She blinked

The young man laughed, closing his notebook and tucking it into his breast pocket.

"I said, yes. I could use an assistant. Plus, I'd like to do more research on you." He blanched and then rubbed the back of his neck. "That sounded strange. I'm sorry, uh, what I meant is-"

She laughed at his gaffe, waving it away.

"It's alright, Newt. I understand what you're trying to say. And my answer is yes, it's alright. It's the least I could do."

Silver eyes lingered on his blushing features. A grin broke out on her face, and she patted the ground beside her. He tentatively sat down and stretched out his legs.

Ev looked up at the stars, and sighed, satisfied. Finally, she had someone who didn't scream or run at her dragon form. She glanced sideways, trying to sneak a peek at his expression, and caught him staring back. They both looked away and blushed.

This was going to be an interesting partnership.

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 **Another chapter down, leave a review and make my day!**


	4. Adventures Begin

**Shockingly, I have not dropped this story! It has been, what, a year now? Something like that? You may notice that I've also revamped some of the previous chapters, please enjoy this higher quality of reading material. I return, this time with some action and character development! Please enjoy and drop a review.**

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Someone was prodding Ev in the ribs. She snarled sleepily, and rolled over.

"Rise and shine, love." A low voice chuckled, and her eyes shot open. A pair of eyes twinkled only a couple inches away from her own face, causing her to jerk back.

"Newt! Good lord!" She gasped, and clutched her chest. "Don't do that to me!"

He sat back on his heels. A crooked smile crinkled up the corners of his eyes, and she ignored the butterflies his close proximity brought. Whatever happened, she must stay professional.

"Sorry, couldn't resist." There was a bright boyish shine in Newt's eyes. "How did you sleep?"

Ev ran her fingers through her hair, and stood up from the makeshift bed she had occupied on the floor of the workroom. She inhaled and stretched before settling contentedly and grinning.

"Excellently, thanks. Where are we off to?" She was eager to start moving.

"Tea and breakfast?" He asked, neatly dodging the question. Her stomach growled, and she laughed.

"Does that answer your question?" Ev had been on the run alone for so long, small things like that didn't bother her so much, whereas any sensible English gentry would be horrified at her careless smile.

They climbed up the ladder, and went to the ship's dining hall. It was a light meal of eggs and toast, with a cup of tea. Nursing her heavily sugared and creamed tea, Ev turned her attention to the older boy.

"So. You never answered my question earlier. Where are we going?" Platinum eyes focused on him and Newt put down his own cup.

"Well, as you know, this boat goes to Ireland, and I've heard there is a Granian living in the wilderness there."

Ev couldn't help but notice how all of his features lit up when he talked about magical creatures. _No, focus Ev!_

"A what?"

"It's a winged horse, and a rare one at that. Very, very fast. No one's ever caught one."

"Right, and you want that thing. So, explain to me what exactly it can do, and how we can catch it."

Ev crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, thinking deeply, as Newt explained behaviours, appearances, strengths, weaknesses, and abilities.

"So I think because it loves that plant-"

"Durban."

"Right. That. Since it loves that stuff, we might do a simple bait-and-snare trap. You said it's not too clever?" Ev looked over at Newt for confirmation.

"Not too clever, but it's very fast, and fairly strong. You'd have to make a strong snare to catch a Granian," Newt frowned. "I don't think it will work."

Ev pursed her lips, and then looked at him. "Do you have a better plan?"

Newt considered for a moment and then acquiesced. "Touché."

"This is going to be interesting," she smirked, and were you to see her then, you would have known she wasn't human. Her silver eyes flashed and she bared canines that were just a little too sharp. Newt raised his eyebrows and stood up.

"Very cryptic. Now come on then, we have to go feed the creatures." He announced. The two walked back to Newt's suite, Ev practically buzzing with excitement and energy.

When the final creature was tucking happily into its meal, Newt and Ev stood up, dusting themselves off.

"That's a wrap." Newt declared.

"Great. Let's grab some durban and get off this ship." She grinned, rubbing her hands together in a way Newt thought seemed a little villainous.

As if responding to her words, the faint sound of a bell rung in the distance, signalling the arrival of Sylph.

Ev bounded up the ladder and out the suitcase, with Newt in tow. The two waltzed out and then Newt flipped the suitcase shut so he could lift it.

"Ready?" She looked at him and he nodded. They continued out of the ship and went through customs relatively easily, only being paused briefly for a particularly suspicious officer feeling the need to paw through Newt's suitcase much too thoroughly.

Still, they emerged unscathed and Ev inhaled a breath of the crisp air.

"Ah, I missed fresh air." She sighed happily.

"Right, let's go find a forest." Newt declared, surveying the area with a hand shading his eyes.

"Already?" Ev questioned with slight surprise. "Not gonna find an inn or anything?"

He gave her a confused look and she nodded, pressing her lips together. "Never mind. Forget I asked. Lead the way, Scamander."

"Here. Grab onto my arm and try not to throw up," Newt said, offering his elbow.

She clutched tight to him, eyeing him strangely. "What are you-,"

Suddenly everything dark, and it felt like her skull had been flipped inside out. She swore she could feel her stomach being ripped away from her, and she understood what Newt meant about not throwing up.

When the horror show ended, Ev was weak-kneed and dizzy. Luckily, she had one Newt Scamander there to catch her before she could faint.

"Never...again," she snarled, holding a delicate hand to her mouth.

Newt, the bloody prat, looked perfectly fine, and eyed her with no small amount of amusement.

"Alright, then?"

"No I'm not bloody alright! You-," she proceeded to let out a long string of curse words.

He looked mildly shocked at her expansive vocabulary of profanity, but took it like a gentleman.

"I'm sorry, that was deserved. But we did make it here," Newt pointed out. Ev looked around for the first time and found them in a glade of some forest.

"Fine, but we're going back my way," she mumbled, still reeling a little from that awful experience.

"I suspect that the Granian will be near a source of water, for drinking. There's a lake nearby, but I'd prefer if you could be on aerial?" He said, and she nodded.

Transforming quickly, she crouched low and then sprung into the air, wings flapping to keep her airborne.

"I'll take a quick look," she said in that rasping voice. "Meet you at the lake."

"Stay silent when you come down, just in case it is there," he called after her as she flew higher into the sky.

Ev breathed in the cool air as she flew high above the ground. She was feeling a little overwhelmed by all the sights, sound and smells she was taking in as her dragon form, and tried to focus on finding the Granian. Even when she was this high, she could smell Newt easily, and silently kept tabs even as her sharp eyes searched the ground. Mostly all she could see was trees, trees and more trees, although she could also see the lake.

For a brief second Newt's scent disappeared and she felt a lurch of panic, but then he reappeared, close to the lake. He must've done that teleporting thing he did.

She scanned the lake, but didn't see any grey Pegasi around the water. The sickly sweet scent of durban invaded her nostrils, and she wrinkled her snout. How those horses could eat that stuff, she had no idea. It smelled like one of those older ladies who wore too much perfume and ended up killing several plants in the proximity.

She couldn't see much from up in the sky, so she swooped lower, circling above the lake. Newt could be seen laying the snare with the durban, and the water was relatively still.

Nevertheless, something about that lake was making her extremely nervous. Her instincts were heightened in this form, and everything was screaming for her to stay away from that lake. Her eyes darted to where Newt was standing, a little too close to the water's edge for her comfort.

"Newt," she called down, as she descended from the sky. "Newt, get away from the water."

"What?" He looked up in confusion. "Everly, what's-,"

"Just do it!" She growled, heart rate spiking the closer she got to the water. "I have a really bad feeling about it, alright?"

He looked dubious, but backed away. She landed next to him and eyed the still surface of the lake. She couldn't smell anything threatening under all that water, but she could smell…

"Flesh. I smell flesh," she told him very quietly, not shifting back to her human form. She prowled over towards the reeds, her tail flicking in front of Newt when he tried to follow her. "You stay behind. It's not safe."

"I have a wand, I can protect myself," he said, but didn't move. Satisfied, she turned her attention back to the reeds. Her nose twitched as the smell of decaying flesh was suddenly sharp in her sensitive nose. She fished one claw in, and closed it around something slimy. She tossed it onto the ground at the water's edge in disgust.

"Those are entrails," Newt remarked softly.

"Human ones," she agreed grimly. "Any idea what it is?"

His eyes widened, and he started backing away fast from the water's edge. Ev shifted back to her human form, eyeing Newt as his expression shifted to one of panic.

"I have a pretty good idea, but I don't want to have to face it without being prepared," Newt said nervously. "Merlin, I'm so foolish. How could I have mistaken it to be a Granian when it was obviously-,"

"What is it?" She demanded, starting to take slow steps back.

"A kelpie," He said through gritted teeth. "It's a water demon that primarily takes the form of a horse. Very dangerous unless one has the correct tools to approach it with. I'd love to catch it, but right now I simply don't think-,"

Suddenly the water began to stir and froth at the edge.

"Wait, Newt, what do you need to capture this thing?" Ev asked, eyeing the frothing water.

"A bridle, I have one in my suitcase but-," his eyes flicked to said case, which was as still sitting by the water's edge. Horror flashed across his face. "My suitcase! I have to- and the creatures, they could get hurt! I need to-,"

Ev pushed him back and dove forward to grab it, but that was when the kelpie appeared. She froze as it reared out of the water.

It was a massive black horse, almost the same size as her, with hooves that looked razor sharp and jagged teeth to match. Its eyes were glossy black, and it had hair made of slimy aquatic plants, as well as slick green skin akin to that of a frog's. Nostrils flaring, it let out a horrible gurgling cry and leapt at Ev.

In the split second she had, she tossed the suitcase to Newt, and launched herself to meet its attack, transforming into her dragon form as she flew through the air.

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 **Cliffhanger! Follow and favorite, leave a review if you please :)**


	5. Wounds of Past and Present

**At long last, I have returned! Thank you for bearing with me, my loyal readers! You give me the motivation to keep going 3**

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Ev let herself give in to her more animalistic instincts as she tangled with the kelpie. It immediately dragged her into the water, and she struggled with it while trying to hold her breath.

It was much faster than her under the water, its slick skin and long serpentine tail propelling it easily through the water, while her claws and wings only served to slow her down. Ev tried to sort her thoughts as she squared off with the vicious water-dweller.

First things first, she had to tuck in her wings, they were really keeping her from going anywhere. Second things second, she had to find a way to drag this damned thing out of the water without killing it. Newt wanted to catch this thing, so she only had to stall until he found his bridle, but she couldn't kill it.

The kelpie, of course, had no such reservations.

It circled her the same way a shark would, and she twisted in the water, looking for it. She felt discombobulated and vulnerable down here, unable to see more than a few feet in the murky depths of the lake, or smell her opponent like she usually would. Not to mention, as her burning lungs reminded her, she was running out of air.

Ev caught a flash of movement in her peripheral and dove at it. But there was nothing to sink her claws into and she twisted around, paranoid. Her skin prickled and she instinctively spun around, just in time to see a massive shape barreling towards her.

She met the kelpie hard and wrestled with it, pitting her strength against its agility. With some well-timed body slams, she began slowly dragging it towards the surface. She fended off attacks from its teeth and tried to fight back without tearing its throat out like her instincts begged her to do. It would've been so easy to kill the bloody thing, but she wouldn't, for Newt. This was the cost, the price of travelling with him. She had to obey his wishes, not just do as she pleased.

Smacking it with her powerful tail and butting it with her head, she slowly started to gain the upper hand. She was the stronger one, even in this space, but it was slippery and swift.

She growled as the kelpie managed to wriggle out of her claws for the third time. She just couldn't get a grip on its mucus-slicked skin.

Ev was quickly tiring in this underwater struggle. Thinking quickly before she ran out of air, she locked her jaws around its foreleg and swam like mad towards the surface.

Praying Newt had gotten what he needed, she used one last burst of strength to launch herself out of the water, dragging the kelpie with her. She tossed it into the air, and it thrashed as it fell back towards the water. She didn't have the strength to fight it if it got in the water again, but she braced herself to dive back after it.

Luckily, before it could hit the water, it froze in midair and slowly floated towards the shore, where Newt stood, eyes blazing and wand outstretched. His posture was tense but determined, and his chin was lifted defiantly.

"Alright, Ev?" He called, eyes never leaving the kelpie, and she grinned.

"Yeah, I'll live," she said, flying slowly over to the shore. She was bleeding at least two places on her underbelly, and she overall felt bone-tired. It had been a while since she'd last had to fight anyone, nearly two years now, if she remembered correctly. She brushed the memories away, the taste of her mouth souring.

Newt casted a quick spell and placed a silver bridle over the kelpie's head. The second the bridle touched its slimy skin, its pupils dilated, and it sat obediently at his feet. When he pointed to the suitcase, it walked over and tried to squeeze in. It was too big to fit in, but Newt made it shrink with a flick of his wand.

He looked back at Ev, who had just landed heavily on the beach, dripping steady streams of blood onto the gravelly sand. It was shockingly painful, but she just watched Newt expectantly.

"C'mon, you too," he said nodding toward the suitcase. "I'll get you patched up and fix up a little pool for this fellow."

"I'm right behind you," she promised.

Ev waited for him to disappear into the depths of his case before she transformed back into her human self. The pain seemed to multiply tenfold, making her grit her teeth. She shivered; her human form's temperature ran a lot colder than her dragon form, and the cold did no good to help her aching bones.

Instead of focusing on that, she lifted her shirt to check her injuries.

One scratch, fairly shallow, ran from her ribs to above her navel, and the other, rather deep, stretched from below her chest to her hip.

"Blasted kelpie," she muttered, letting her shirt fall back over her stomach and walking gingerly over to the suitcase. She felt supremely sore as she lowered herself down the ladder and landed in the workroom.

Newt could be seen waving his wand to create a new environment for the kelpie far away, and she sat down on a rock outside the workroom to wait for him, hissing in pain as her wounds protested. Her head felt stuffed with cotton, her ears sloshing with water still.

Newt appeared minutes later brandishing his wand and looked to her. "Show me?"

Her face heated as she lifted her shirt just enough to bare her wounds. Around the deep gashes there were faded scars, memories of wounds similar that hadn't been healed properly. He didn't say anything, but his face went a similar shade of deep crimson as he kneeled in front of her bare stomach.

"Vulnera Sanentur," he spoke, and repeated it twice more. It sounded vaguely melodic, and she watched in fascination as the deeper of the two wounds knitted closed. He then grabbed a vial from the countertop and dripped some of the liquid over both of them. Raw red skin stretched over the wounds, closing them off and staunching the blood. They already looked to be about four weeks healed, much to her surprise and she wagered they probably wouldn't even scar.

"That's a miracle worker," she marveled, dropping her shirt. It was drenched in lake water and soaked in blood, but she could get a new one from her rucksack later.

There was a pause, and then Newt exhaled raggedly, rubbing his face.

"I'm so sorry, Everly," Newt said, running his fingers through his ruddy hair. "It's my fault you had to fight the kelpie, if I had just realized it was a kelpie instead of a Granian, you wouldn't have had to fight it, and I completely understand if you want to go your own way. I can pay for your train tickets, or carriage, or whatever you need, I'm so-,"

She blinked several times, trying to keep up with his rapid speech and then raised a silencing finger to his lips, too tired to formulate the words that would get him to stop rambling. Her head was absolutely pounding, and even his gentle voice was murder behind her eyes.

"Slow down, Newt, good lord. I'm fine, and I have no plans to leave, if you'll still have me," she grinned shakily. Christ, she needed to lie down. "I've survived much more than that. Frankly, it would be embarrassing to give up now."

A slight breeze rustled past them before Ev could keep talking, and she shivered violently, teeth chattering.

The action didn't go unnoticed and her companion looked around guiltily.

"You must be freezing, I'm so sorry. I'll just… grab a blanket," Newt mumbled, ducking into a cabinet and rummaging around.

"I'm going to go change into something a little less wet and bloody," she said, smiling a little.

"Oh!" He smacked his forehead. "I can help!"

He waved his wand muttering inaudibly, and a wave of warmth crashed over her, making her shudder in pleasure.

"That's the ticket," she murmured, eyes closing in bliss.

"Tergio," he muttered, and the blood disappeared from her shirt. She nodded gratefully to him; clothing was expensive, and buying new shirts was usually a luxury she couldn't afford.

"Thank you, Newt," she said, looking up at him with a smile. "I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to have a nap. I'm absolutely beat."

He shook his head disbelievingly, staring at her in an almost mystified way. "That kelpie could have killed you."

"If it could have killed me, why are you keeping it?" Ev asked, eyes narrowing. To be honest, she still wasn't sure that was a right course of action.

"It's not dangerous now," he corrected quietly. "It was before we could connect. All of my creatures are capable of being dangerous unless you know how to handle them. In fact, the same could be said about you, but I don't fear you."

Her stomach turned to stone and she scowled, recoiling. "Am I just another creature for you to tame, Scamander? Is that why you keep me around, you think you can master me?"

"What? No, don't be ridiculous," Newt said, going red. His eyes darted to the side.

Ev drew herself to her full height, jaw clenched. "I see. You were right then, I am dangerous. Perhaps you should fear me."

"But I don't," Newt said, chin lifted defiantly. "And you are not a creature to me, Everly. You're a human. A human, in fact, that I respect very much."

She studied him for a long moment, anger draining out of her. He met her gaze, unabashed.

"I'm going to nap," she said quietly, somewhat mollified. "I'll see you later, Newt."

"Right then," he muttered, scratching the back of his head. "Good night."

Shaking her head, she shifted into her dragon form, wincing a little at how it tugged at her freshly healed injuries. Suppressing the pain, she padded out to a grassy hill in the erumpent habitat. She curled up similar to the way that a cat might, and sighed, releasing all the tension in her body. Her eyes closed and she was asleep in seconds.

* * *

" _Everly!" A woman shouted, leaping to her feet. She had dark hair and crystal blue eyes, along with the same delicate bone structure as Ev. Something about her was awfully familiar._

" _Mum!" Ev heard herself shout, and she felt the sensation of shifting into her human form._

" _Evie! Howard, come out here, Everly is back!" The woman called, tears coursing down her cheeks. Her face was lined with age, but still remarkably beautiful._

 _A man with greying temples and kind eyes emerged, and his expression shattered upon catching sight of her._

" _Evie! My girl!" That was all he managed to say before he scooped her and the woman up in a massive hug._

 _Her shoulders were shaking with wracking sobs, but her chest ballooned with happiness._

" _Mum, Dad," she kept murmuring, voice trembling. Hot tears dripped down her cheeks._

" _I love you so much, my little swan," her mother whispered. She drew back from the embrace and examined her daughter at arm's length. "But where have you been? Where did Madge take you?"_

 _Dream-Ev sighed shakily. "America. I'm not exactly sure, but I think New York. I can't- I'm sorry, I have a lot of memory problems.'_

" _That treacherous snake," her father hissed, eyes flashing with fury. "Linnea, I told you your sister was trouble."_

 _Linnea looked distracted. "Memory problems? You never had any before. You always had an impeccable memory."_

 _Dream-Ev shook her head. "She wiped my memory of you all so many times, I've had a lot of trouble remembering things. I forgot I was a wizard, she told me I was a squib. She said- she said you were dead."_

" _Everly!"  
Dream-Ev jerked up as a new voice was heard shouting her name. Her face melted into horror._

" _Oh no. She followed me here."_

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Ev jerked awake with a start, head pounding.

What the hell had that dream been about? A mother, a father? That was impossible, she had no parents. They had both died, from the dragon-pox epidemic.

Hadn't they?

Her head was killing her, and Ev squeezed her eyes shut to try and ease the throbbing. The dream had unsettled her in a major way. Something about it was eerily familiar, lingering in the back of her head.

But the more she thought about it, the more the details slipped away, like trying to pin down a wriggling fish.

At last giving up, Ev sighed and let go of it to examine where she was and try to reorient herself. That was one thing her dream hadn't lied about, she had terrible memory. Headaches just like this one were side effects, signs that she was having a lapse.

As she took in the synthetic sunset and the creatures, she remembered Newt and all the drama with the kelpie. She checked her wounds. Both looked almost perfectly healed, unlike some of the other jagged scars decorating her torso. At least one thing was going her way.

She stood up, casting off the heavy quilt that provided such delicious warmth, (had she gotten a quilt last night?) and went hunting for her rucksack so she could find a change of clothes. It was leaning against the corner of the workshop, and she grabbed it before climbing out of the suitcase.

She found herself standing in a quaint little room, generic enough she reckoned it was an inn room. Newt was sound asleep over the desk in the corner, cheek resting on his open notebook.

"Hey Scamander," she called gently. He frowned slightly and sighed.

"Not yet," he mumbled.

"Yep. Come on, Newt, up and at 'em," she urged. "I think the erumpets are getting rowdy."

"No they're not. They never really are," Newt said groggily, burrowing his face into the crook of his arm. After a brief pause, he sighed and sat up, rubbing his eyes. "How are your wounds?"

Ev considered and then shrugged. "Good as new, actually."

She prodded gently at her stomach, but she only felt a dull sort of soreness. No serious pain.

"Glad to hear," he replied with a nod. "The erumpets aren't really getting rowdy, are they?"

"Nah, I don't think so. Just trying to get you up," she said. "Although I'm sure all the creatures would appreciate some breakfast."

"Probably," he agreed, raking his fingers through his forelocks. Last night's transgressions appeared to have been forgotten, much to her relief.

Ev offered a tense smile as he stumbled towards the suitcase. She was eager to get the animals fed and move on to wherever they were going next.

However real the dream was or wasn't, whether she could remember the dream or not, it had scared her. Even as much as she would like to deny it, it felt like a portent for Madge's arrival. And if her aunt really did find her, everything with Newt, everything she had done to put as much space between her aunt and her, it was all for nothing.

"Ev?" Newt called from the depths of the case. "Are you coming?"

Choking down the butterflies in her stomach, she cleared her throat. "Be right there!"

As she lowered herself down the ladder, she tried to assure herself that the dream meant nothing. There was no way her aunt would find her when she had a wizard's protection. Not when she'd spent the past two years running from her, zig-zagging across the continent in an effort to throw her off the trail.

Really, it was funny, despite how easily lies normally flowed onto Ev's tongue, she never could fool herself.

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 **Drop a review to tell me what you think is going on! Where did Ev come from? What does Madge mean for Ev's future?**


	6. A Misty Moment

**Thank you all for being so patient with me, I did my best to get this chapter out a bit faster. Hopefully people are enjoying the story!**

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 _Her heartbeat in her ears felt deafening as she bolted down the street. Her ragged breathing tore at her throat as she turned a street corner._

 _Fear and thrilled anticipation ran high, zipping through her veins. She was twitching with adrenaline as she crept through an alley to see the cause of the commotion that had drawn her from her bed so late at night._

 _Eerie pale flames roared high in the windows of a tall building. People were screaming, bellowing orders, and she could hear the wail of a siren far off in the distance. Her heart throbbed in her chest as she drank in the scene with widened eyes. She shouldn't be out here at all, but she'd had to see what had the whole neighborhood illuminated at three in the morning. She hoped Aunt Madge was okay, she hadn't been in her bed when Ev woke up._

 _Tugging her cap lower over her eyes, she identified a woman holding a wand and turned to her._

" _Does anyone know who started it?" she asked in a low voice._

 _The woman leaned over, never taking her eyes off the scene. "It's another Grindelwald, isn't it? I hope MACUSA is doing something about this, these attacks have gotten closer and closer to home."_

 _A ghostly silhouette rose from the flames, and a collective gasp rang out across the crowd. Ev's heart dropped to her stomach, and her jaw slipped open._

" _Oh my god!"_

" _It's the Dragon Queen!"_

" _I knew it was Grindelwald! Of course he sent his lieutenant."_

 _But Ev could hardly hear them over the painful shattering sensation inside her chest.  
_ " _Aunt Madge?" she breathed, horrified._

 _The silver dragon exhaled another plume of fire and part of the building crumbled. Screams rang out, louder than before. Ev's mouth was bone-dry, and she tried to swallow over the tongue that suddenly felt swollen and heavy._

" _I have to go," she whispered to no one in particular._

 _Heart hammering, she turned on her heel and fled._

 _Back at the flat, Ev hurried to pack a bag. She shoved shirts and other clothing into a rucksack frantically, trying to process what she'd seen._

 _All this time, Aunt Madge had been sneaking away to do- this? All her raving about her boss and his brilliance, she'd meant Grindelwald and the horrors of his campaign._

 _Ev wasn't stupid, she'd seen the headlines in Aunt Madge's wizarding newspaper about Grindelwald, but she never thought her own beloved aunt might be involved. And she'd never heard of the apparently infamous Dragon Queen. Now she realized, Madge had probably hidden those ones from her._

 _Burning with betrayal and fury, she grabbed the bag and swung the front door open._

" _Where do you think you're going, young lady?" Madge asked, hands on her hips. Her mercurial eyes -identical to Ev's- sparkled, friendly as ever. "At three AM?"_

" _Depends," Ev snarled, as venomous as her aunt was pleasant. "Where have you been?"_

 _Madge looked taken aback by her tone, and her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"_

" _I saw you," Ev hissed, stabbing a finger into her chest. "How many? How many did you kill?"_

 _Madge's face was a iron mask._

" _I see," she said quietly. "I give and give, and this is the thanks I get. Teaching you to hunt, to fly. Protecting you from dragon-hunters. Taking you in after your parents passed-,"_

" _How do I even know that's true?" Ev threw out wildly. When she saw her aunt's eyes flicker, she couldn't suppress a gasp. "They're- they're-... How could you keep this from me?"_

" _And now you know everything, Everly," Madge said softly. "Congratulations. I hope you've enjoyed these ten minutes, but I really tire of doing this."_

 _She drew her wand and pointed it at her niece. Before Ev could react, Madge commanded, "Obliviate."_

 _Everything went white, and she heard a voice echo all around her._

"Wake up, Everly. Wake up."

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"Wake up."

Ev jerked awake, breathing heavily. She looked around, chest heaving as she tried to figure out where she was. A pair of concerned verdant eyes looked back.

"Sorry to wake you, but we've just about arrived," Newt said, watching her worriedly..

Ev looked outside the window of what appeared to be a carriage. A rush of the trademark Irish green greeted her, and she sat back in her seat. Her brain supplied her with the reason she was seeing it, repeating Newt's words from a couple hours ago.

"So, Galway," she said groggily. "What's in Galway?"

Newt gave a smile. "Well, I've just finished my research on the Augurey, and I need to release it. Galway is close, so I figured we'd go there."

Ev nodded, rubbing her eyes. Her head was pounding again, and she tried not to show it. No need to alarm him if she didn't have to.

Her dreams were getting worse as of late. She could hardly recall the details of her dream, but she remembered fire. And screams. And Madge. It didn't help her much, she already knew Madge was a monster, but it angered her that she couldn't remember.

"Are you feeling alright?" Newt asked her.

Her head snapped up."Yes. Yes, I'm fine."

The carriage rolled to a stop, saving her from his probing gaze, and they got out.

"Are yeh sure yeh want t'be dropped here, Mr. Scamander?" The driver said, looking down at them as they got their bags. "There's nothin' but th' wilds out here."

"Yes, thank you," Newt said, palming him some gold pieces. "Be off now, my good man."

The driver squinted at his coin. "Is this real gold, sir?"

"Yes, yes, now be on your way," Newt dismissed him absently, flicking the latch on his case shut.

The driver bit down on the coin and his eyes went big as dinner plates.

"Thank yeh kindly, Mr. Samander," he exclaimed. "And if yer ever t'need a carriage again, ye call fer Dennis O'Malley, yeh hear? I'll be there in a jiffy, I will."

"We'll do that," Ev said quickly. "Have a good afternoon, now."

At long last, the driver started the horses up again, and lumbered off. His merry whistling faded in the distance, and Ev looked to Newt.

"Well? Shall we get on it?" She prodded.

The magizoologist nodded and opened his case. Immediately, the bald head of a bird popped up, its stare severe.

"Clever, clever Benedict," Newt crooned. "You know where we are, don't you? Out with you now, you're home."

The bird hopped onto the rim of the suitcase and cocked its head, examining the surroundings. Ev watched as it flapped its wings slowly, walking back and forth on clawed feet.

In a great frenzy of bottle-green feathers, it took to the air and flew away, let out a great shriek. Moments later, Ev could faintly hear a haunting melody in the distance. She shivered.

"Is that Benedict?" she asked Newt.

"Definitely," he nodded, eyes still faraway. "It must be about to rain. A great deal of folks seem to believe Auguries sing when death is approaching. A silly belief, of course. Benedict is only letting us know to conjure some umbrellas."

Ev grinned. "How extraordinarily thoughtful of him."

He finally looked down at her, eyes twinkling. "A true gentleman. Come, let's go into the city."

"In case you've forgotten, you just dismissed our carriage. How do you expect to get there?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

He held out an elbow. "We'll Apparate."

"Oh no, we won't," she said determinedly. "We're going my way this time."

Ev let herself fall forward onto her hands, shifting as she did so. Landing on clawed feet, she knelt down.

"Climb aboard," she said, smirking as best she could around a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth.

Newt's face whitened like a sheet. He recoiled a couple steps.

"Oh dear. Oh Merlin. I don't- I don't think that's quite safe," he stuttered. His freckles stood out against his pale complexion.

"Come on, Newt," Ev urged teasingly. "In all your time studying, you never tried to ride one of your creatures?"

"No, I did not," he said firmly. "I like my feet on the ground, thank you very much."

Ev chuckled, a rasping noise.

"Sorry, darling," she said, taking as step forward.

"F-for?" he mumbled, eyeing her in a decidedly panicked way.

"This," she grinned, seizing him under the arms and leaping into flight.

As they gained altitude, she tossed him into the air above her and dove so he landed on her back, just in between her shoulder blades.

Newt gripped tightly to the spines that traced down her head, leaning as closed to her as possible.

"Oh Merlin, oh Merlin, oh Merlin," he could be heard chanting in a fear-stricken voice.

Ev laughed loudly, soaring through the air joyfully. The air up her was cold, almost stinging, and fog hung heavy in the air.

"Where to?" she asked him.

"L-l-left," Newt called over the wind, voice shaking. "F-f-for four m-m-miles or s-so."

"Oi, loosen up," she said over her shoulder. "If you relax, it's a lot more fun."

She felt his muscles relax just a tad, and he sat a little higher on her back. If she didn't know better, she might have heard him inhale sharply in amazement.

"Oh Merlin," he said again, but the breathlessness in his voice wasn't from fear.

A toothy grin split Ev's face, and she swooped low, chuckling when he hunched back over her, clinging just as tightly as before. But once they were cruising again, he relaxed his grip and looked around.

"This is amazing," he exclaimed over the wind. "I can't believe this!"

"Isn't it?" she called back, looking back at him.

Newt's tawny hair was blown back out of his bright eyes, and his face beheld absolute wonderment. Her heart stirred in her chest, jumping just a little, and her lungs seemed to shrink. Ev looked away hurriedly, before her silly crush sent them both spiraling out of the air.

Face hot under her scales, she cleared her throat and tried to shake off her momentary distraction. To her amusement, the fog had grown thick and dense above them. She had an idea.

"Hang on," she smirked, flapping her wings harder.

They plunged through a rolling fog bank, and she began to laugh when Newt sputtered about it being _cold_ and _wet_. The moisture clung to her slick scales, and she revelled in the sense of the water sliding over her scales.

Ev had so rarely felt as free as this, so untouchable and untamed. She wished the moment could last for years and years. It felt like she was safe up here, like no one could reach her. Perhaps if she never came down, she could protect Newt forever and just live up here.

But she watched the misty green melt against the muted tan of the coastline, and caught sight of a town in the distance.

"That's Galway," Newt said, leaning close to her ear. "We should descend."

Ev complied, taking a gradual dive. She aimed to land just outside town so none of the muggle inhabitants would see her.

When her feet finally touched lightly down on the ground, she knelt and let her companion slide off her back.

"Now, was that so bad?" she asked, shifting back to her human form.

Newt wobbled around on jelly legs, staggering this way and that as he reoriented himself. Ev reached out to steady him, letting him lean heavily on her. Her face flamed as his body slotted against hers, and she hurriedly stepped away, holding him up at arm's length. He turned to her once he found his balance, and she waited to hear his response.

"That was... bloody brilliant," he said almost wonderingly. Newt seized her by the shoulders, a smile spreading across his face, crooked and untamed. "Everly, that was terrific!"

Newt's eyes were dizzy and faraway, the kind of green that made one think of roaring sea and rolling mist. Ev's stomach swooped, and she stared at him for just a moment longer, chest aching painfully. There was less than a foot between them, and she couldn't stop her mind from pondering what would happen if she closed that distance.

A fierce and sudden anger seized her.

 _Then he would be disgusted, and you'd ruin everything, and you'd be alone again. Is that what you want, Everly?_

Ev swallowed and backed up, ashamed at herself.

"Glad-," her voice scraped, and she tried again. "Glad you liked it. Shouldn't we be going?"

A minute part of his expression fell, as if she had said something wrong, but it was gone in an instant.

"You're right," he said. "It's going to rain soon, we should try to get into the city before then."

He set off at a walk, but Ev stayed still for as moment, watching the sharp navy silhouette he cut. Newt looked back at her, honey-green eyes shining behind the tawny curls that flopped in his face.

"Are you coming, Everly?"

 _Not if it gets you to say my name again._

"Be right there." She stretched her face into an easy smile and hurried after him.

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 **Oh no, poor Ev... And how about that Madge scene though! Intense! Drop a review and make my day!**


	7. Beastly

**Thank you to everyone who has followed and favorited this story, I really appreciate it! Please drop a review if you find the time!**

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Ev woke up on their third day in Galway, and her heart sank. Instantly, she knew what day it was.

The day of the full moon.

Newt was gone already, -he normally was, off doing his wizard business-, so she got up and made breakfast for herself. Afterwards, she went out on the town and ambled around. She had to force down her instinct to nab a souvenir, reminding herself that she didn't need to steal anymore.

At lunch, she went back to the inn to check and see if Newt was home. He wasn't.

Trying not to grow worried, she went back out and wandered around the beach Galway was close to. The sand was packed hard, and it wasn't very tropical, but it was relaxing in its own way. She stripped out of her shoes and rolled up the cuffs of her trousers so she could wade in the ice-cold water. As the tide came in, the water flooded around her bony ankles.

Ev watched as the sun sank lower and lower, and at about four, she went back into town to grab a cuppa.

Her thoughts wandered to Newt, and she couldn't help worrying. She really hoped he was home, or she wouldn't have time to tell him about the full moon.

All at once she set down the cup and got to her feet, leaving some money for the tea. She headed home, hunching her shoulders when rain began to fall. The inn was a welcome sight, and she ducked inside to escape what had quickly become a downpour.

She headed back to their room and changed out of her soaked clothes. She sat at the table provided for them, eyes watching the clock. As the hour hand crept further and further past six, she grew drawn and frightened. Where was Newt? Had something happened to him? Her knee jogged nervously under the table.

The innkeeper's wife brought a dinner up to her, since it was included in the purchase of their room, and she picked nervously at it as the hour hand passed seven, and the sun had nearly disappeared behind the mountains in the distance.

When the hand hit eight, Ev realized she'd made a mistake. She'd spent all this time waiting for Newt, when she should have been fleeing Galway. But it was too late.

As the last of the sunlight disappeared and the moon took over in the sky, Ev felt a bolt of fire-lightning jolting her whole body.

She collapsed to the ground, wailing as white-hot pain took over. Scales pushed through her skin, and her transformation forced over her. She groaned and whimpered as the bones in her back snapped and remolded to form her wings.

Ev curled up in a ball as throbbing pain wracked her whole body, and her bones seem to splinter under her skin. A roar escaped her lips and she writhed in pain, feeling like her skin was too tight to hold all of her in. She was splitting at the seams.

Everything disappeared in the haze of pain, and she trembled and howled on the ground, unable to move. This was how Newt found her, hours later, when he came in sopping wet from the rain.

"Everly, I'm-," he stopped as he heard her pain-riddled cries. "Everly?"

She tried to look at him, but her whole body cried out in protest as she tried to stretch to see him.

"D-Don't come closer," she gasped out, voice a bare hiss. Her words were clumsy, her ability to speak human language almost gone in her brutal shift. Even now it was difficult to organize her whirling mind to form any sense. "Midnight… full dragon."

Newt's eyes flickered to the clock, where it read eleven forty seven. He carefully put the box he was carrying on the counter and set his suitcase down.

"Hold still, Everly," he said very calmly. "I'm going to shrink you now, and take you into the case so you don't break anything."

She whined as her skin seemed to feel even tighter and she shrank four times smaller, to the size of a house cat. She barely registered as Newt picked her up and descended down the ladder into his suitcase.

Her eyes opened as she felt herself being placed in the grass, and she whimpered as her skin loosened, and she felt herself expand back to her normal size. The magic was an overwhelming sensation that only added to her pain, and she let loose a guttural rumble of protest.

When Ev forced her eyes open, she could blearily see Newt walking a wide circle around her, waving his wand and chanting under his breath. A spasm of pain wracked her body and she let herself forget him as she squeezed her eyes shut, gritting her teeth.

"...Away," she implored, trying to fight off the blackness closing around her mind. "Go…"

He didn't make any move to escape, and if she could have cried in her dragon from, she would have.

"Please," she begged, right before the human part of her mind shut down, and she was swallowed by darkness.

Everything was blank

* * *

Newt finished casting the last of the spell when Everly collapsed in a heap of black scales and leathery wings. It was disturbing to see her so pained when she was normally so confident and relaxed.

He watched her closely, resisting the urge to go inside the magical enclosure he'd casted. After a moment, her mercurial eyes opened, and she got to her feet.

"Everly?" he asked slowly.

She prowled closer, lips pulled over her razor-sharp teeth in a feral snarl. Muscles coiled and shifted under her scaled skin as she approached. When she was a few meters away she crouched low, and he leaned forward.

"Are you alright?" he probed, but no recognition lit in her eyes.

All at once, her muscles bunched, and she leapt at him, claws extended, teeth flashing. She hit an invisible wall, and fell back, roaring in frustration. A swipe at the wall proved ineffective, and she began to pace, angered. Her liquid-silver stare never left him.

It was a little terrifying, seeing such rage, such hate in her normally smiling eyes. He'd even begun to think of her dragon form as familiar. Dependable. Now everything was thrown to the wind as she snarled and snapped at him from behind the magical wall. She hated him now, she would maul him in a second if he gave her the opportunity.

Newt got to his feet with a sigh and strode off towards the ladder, ignoring her roars of fury. He popped out into the inn room to grab the box he had abandoned on the kitchen counter before. Balancing his prize carefully on his hip, he climbed back down, minding not to jostle the contents.

Everly lifted her head when he returned with his prize, letting out a low growl but nothing more. She was curled in ball, head resting in the grass, her tail twitching just a little.

"Settled down a bit, have we?" he asked her softly. Her lips lifted in a snarl, but she didn't move.

Newt sighed, smiling a little and sat down next to her enclosure. He lifted the contents of the box out carefully.

Squirming in his hands were two blind kittens, completely soaked through from the rain he'd rescued them from. They mewled pitifully and splayed their tiny limbs in fruitless resistance.

Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, he set them in his lap and casted a drying spell over them. They rolled around, trying to bat their little palms at the warm sensation. He smiled fondly down at their stuttery stop-start motion of their limbs, in stark contrast with the normal grace common in cats.

Newt looked up to see Everly eyeing him with guarded eyes.

"I rescued these little guys from an alley," he explained softly to her, though he knew she didn't understand in this state. "They were in a little crate, and it was filling up with water. I figured they'd drown if I didn't rescue them, so I brought them home."

She did not reply, not that he'd expected different, but did ease to her clawed feet. She crept closer, sniffing along the edge of the barrier so she was less than a foot away from him.

"Aren't they cute?" he smiled, holding them up to her for inspection.

She sniffed at the kittens who tumbled over each other. Everly gave whuff of curiosity and pawed gently at the barrier.

"I don't think so," he told her with a smirk. "A valiant effort, but you'll have to try a little harder than that."

She gave a soft keen and nosed at the barrier, but he held firm. Defeated, she settled in a heap and stared at the kittens as they wrestled sightlessly Newt's lap.

They stayed like that for a while, and Newt found himself drifting off occasionally. It felt like he'd only closed his eyes for a moment, but when he woke up it was the early morning. A glance at his pocket watch told him it was about three in the morning. He looked over his shoulder to check on Everly. She was slumped over in the grass, in a state of incredible chaos.

Patches of midnight scales marked her pale skin haphazardly, a single horn rose from out of her dark hair, and her leathery wings were blanketing her body. One arm was still a clawed dragon hand, and her tail was coiled by her feet. She looked caught halfway between her shift.

"Everly?" he whispered through the barrier.

She stirred and then opened her eyes. One was still split by the catlike pupil of her dragon form. She looked so fragile in that moment, so delicate with her milk-white skin and wide eyes like moons.

"W-What-, What happened?" She asked, her words rasping in her throat. Her eyes focused on him and then zeroed in on her surroundings. Horror flashed across her face and she backed up as fast as possible until her back was pressed-up against the wall of the invisible enclosure.

"Did I hurt anyone?" she demanded, panicked. "Please say I didn't."

"Of course you didn't," he assured her.

She stared at him for a long moment, and then she pulled her knees up to her chest, forehead dropping to rest on her knees. There was a beat of silence, and then Newt realized she was crying. His heart dropped.

"Ah, oh no," he mumbled, scratching the back of his head. "No, don't do that. D-Don't cry, Everly, everything's alright now."

"But w-what if it wasn't?" she sobbed, voice muffled. "I c-c-could have seriously hurt s-somebody!"

"But you didn't," he told her, leaning against the barrier. Realizing it was still up, he raised his wand to take it down.

"No!' she blurted out, tear-stained face snapping up. "Just leave it. I-I can't trust myself. This is the best place for me."

Newt waved it down anyway and moved closer to her. "Don't say that."

Everly flinched away as he sat next to her, but he ignored it.

"Give me your hand."

She shakily complied, handing him her human hand, delicate and cold.

"Your other hand."

She glanced at him worriedly. "I shouldn't."

He widened his eyes in what he hoped as an imploring way and held out his own hand. After a moment, her gaze flickered away, and she gingerly placed the hand that was still a dragon claw in his.

Newt reached for one of the kittens and picked it up, ignoring the way it squirmed.

"You're not going to hurt his, Everly," he told her, absolutely certain. Her eyes flashed with unbridled fear, and she yanked her hand away.

"Newt you can't- you can't just trust me to do that," she said softly, voice cracking.

"Really?" he said. "Who's stopping me?"

He took her clawed hand once more and used one hand to hold the individual claws open. He placed the kitten in the center of her palm, and she froze, her chest stopping in the middle of its rise and fall, her eyes fixed on the tiny life she held in her monstrous hand.

"Newt- you can't-,"

"I'm holding your hand open, see?" he said, cutting her off gently. "You're not going to hurt it."

She looked at him with something unreadable in her volatile eyes for just a beat too long, and then her gaze fixed back on the kitten. It clambered clumsily around the surface area of her hand.

The awe in her face was something truly priceless, Newt thought to himself. It was naive and afraid and amazed all at once. He never thought he'd see an expression so raw, so honest in his entire lifetime. She gazed at that tiny, blind kitten like it hung the moon and stars in the sky.

Newt didn't realize, but at a certain point, he'd stopped holding her hand open. Even with no force resisting her grip she let her hand remain relaxed to keep from hurting the cat. As she stroked along its spine with her human hand, scales retracted back into her skin, and the horn poking out of her hair sank back into her skull. Her pupil morphed back into the regular circular shape, and her leathery wings disappeared into her back. Finally her dragon hand shrank and the scales rippled away to reveal her normal creamy skin.

She sighed, eyes lingering on her hand. "Usually it takes longer than that."

"Well, you had some help today," Newt replied, lips curving into a small smikle.

Everly looked over with that piercing gaze, and after a moment she smiled back.

"I guess I did."

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 **This will probably be one of the last or the last aimless chapter, and the real plot will be starting quite soon. I know it's been a lot of set up of Ev's character and background, as well as Newt and Ev's relationship, but I do have a point I going towards here! I promise!**

 **Anyway, please drop a review if you liked it, I love hearing** **your predictions and feedback!**

 **Find me on Tumblr at octaviastareyes! Let's hang out! May or may not post fan art for this story, and you can get updates on when I'm next posting a chapter.**


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